Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m a words guy, but I’m having trouble right now, other than to start by saying we’ve all read hundreds of stories praising dogs, and I need to add another to the anthology. Because when love’s that pure, it deserves as many as we can tell.

A lot of people say dogs take after their masters. That’s gotta be bogus, because there’s no way I’m as awesome as my dog.

Ernie “Big Ern” “Ern Dog” Banks Mendola passed away on Monday. He was loyal, tough, loving, and he was one handsome hound dog.

We found out Ernie had bladder cancer in late winter. It wasn’t always pretty to come home to, but the dude never complained. I know dogs don’t actually complain, but follow me: Ern just took his medicine, didn’t whine, didn’t even look forlorn until things turned dire. Just kept battling.

We, the lot of us, let a lot of people down in our lives. A lot of people do the same to us. And we let our dogs down, too, but they rarely if ever hit us back. Ern never did. They just look at us like we’re kings of the world. Ern just wanted to walk around the neighborhood, mix it up a little in the backyard — he did not enjoy being nutmegged — and explore the studio space (meaning fall asleep on every square inch of our living room).

Lacey and Asher made sure to step up their kindness game over the last few months, and I know that dog knew he was loved and part of a family. Our younger dog, Dottie, she’s a bit lost now. Heck, we all are. I turned around to look for Ern a couple times today. Several times I had this urge to reach out and pet him, like I could just feel his fur in my palm. It was there, man. I’m telling you that sort of thing kinda hollows you out, like the last scrapes on the inside of a jack-o’-lantern.

Asher says Ernie is up in Heaven. The way our first grader tells it, Ern is getting fed comedic amounts of cheese by his Great Gram and running around with Auggy and some other dogs.

Football beat the crap out of me this year, and I didn’t play a snap. Not even on Madden. My passion for the sport, and for watching the Buffalo Bills, took a hard hit over the course of this season, but it’s been building for years. Many of you noted the lack of Bills raps… Continue Reading

Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving, well, a great November. It’s been an incredibly busy time with loads of paying work and family obligations that has stopped me from doing the “free” stuff like writing here more often, or writing rhymes about football players. Going to try to be in the mix for Bills home… Continue Reading

At some point, we all quit. Right? Yes, E.J. Manuel was incredibly disappointing during a cataclysmic second quarter, and the defense was anything but perfect, but there’s one promising play with an awful ending that seems to sum up the Bills season so far. LeSean McCoy had a solid day, and a bad fumble while… Continue Reading

Sometimes you hate being correct. Looking over the Bengals roster before this game, I not only understood why the team is 5-0, I worried that the Bills would be blown out. The receiving weapons at Andy Dalton’s disposal would open up the Bills front seven to big runs. At the very least, the Bengals would… Continue Reading

First off, sorry about the lack of Bills rap. Voice still hasn’t returned to non-crackable form from two weeks ago. Should have something for Cincinnati. Thanks for your patience. — Gutsy gutsy game from Tyrod Taylor. He was still too inaccurate over the course of the game, but he made plays “when it counted” and… Continue Reading

There were always going to be games where the Bills’ nascent professional quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, looked more like a first-year starter than a reliable veteran signal caller. On those days, you’d expect the Buffalo Bills’ award-winning defense to handle its business, in particular up front. That’s where Buffalo spent a load of dough to bring… Continue Reading

Rex Ryan’s Buffalo Bills responded with class after last week’s awful start against New England, burying the Miami Dolphins with a healthy dose of former ‘Fins. It would be impossible not to be most impressed with Tyrod Taylor’s bounce back. He was collected yet also not gun-shy despite his three-pick performance in Week Three. Oh,… Continue Reading

By the time Tyrod Taylor took over at quarterback for the anemic Matt Cassel, Buffalo had yet to gain a single yard of offense. Of course, that’s because Taylor lined up in the slot for the first play of the season, with Cassel sliding over to take the snap on an awful debut from playcaller… Continue Reading